Daniel 2 - Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Atreju Hood
Daniel • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsChapter 2 tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream of a great statue (Dn 2:31) and Daniel’s revelation and interpretation of it.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Having portrayed Daniel and his friends as models of the way the godly remnant is to live in the times of the Gentiles (Dn 1:21), the book of Daniel next addresses (in chaps. 2–7) God’s continued ultimate rule over the world despite Gentile world dominion. Since chaps. 2–7 pertain to God’s revelation about the Gentile nations, they were written in Aramaic, the international language in those days.
Chapter 2 tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream of a great statue (Dn 2:31) and Daniel’s revelation and interpretation of it. In so doing, it reveals the empires that would dominate Israel and the world during the times of the Gentiles. The primary message of chap. 2 is that the God of Israel is greater than the greatest of men.
1. The King’s Disturbance (2:1-3)
1. The King’s Disturbance (2:1-3)
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
in the second year
The events of Dn 2 took place in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, which would appear to be a historical contradiction in that Daniel’s three-year training program (1:5) began in Nebuchadnezzar’s first year (1:1).
The problem is resolved if, as is likely, Daniel was using Babylonian reckoning:
Daniel would have arrived as a captive and entered his first year of training during the year reckoned as Nebuchadnezzar’s accession year (605–604 BC);
Daniel’s second year of training would have been during the year reckoned as the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (604–603 BC);
Daniel’s third and final year of training would have been during the year reckoned as the second of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingship (603–602 BC).
Therefore, the king sought interpretation of his dreams in 602 BC, shortly after Daniel had completed his three-year education.
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams
The chapter opens with King Nebuchadnezzar having had troubling dreams, and therefore he called upon his wise men to interpret them for him.
Since it is later revealed in the chapter that there was only one dream, the plural used here indicates that the king had a recurring dream.
Since Nebuchadnezzar considered the dreams significant, he was troubled by them and could not sleep.
his spirit was troubled
Nebuchadnezzar’s anxiety is accompanied by sleeplessness.
The Hebrew phrase used here indicates a turmoil that would disrupt normal sleeping patterns.
Similar Hebrew phrases occur elsewhere in the OT in connection with dreams, such as in the Joseph narrative.
In Gen 41:8, the ruler of Egypt (the Pharaoh) is similarly troubled by a dream. Daniel will assist Nebuchadnezzar in understanding the dream just as Joseph did for Pharaoh.
The lives and careers of Joseph and Daniel have many parallels: Both figures were carried against their will into the service of a foreign ruler; both were viewed as pious, God-fearing Jews who sought to live righteously in a strange land; both have been upheld as paragons of virtue for Jews in similar circumstances; both are also portrayed as interpreters of dreams.
In Genesis 41:8, Pharaoh’s reaction to his dream is similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s here. In both cases, their spirits were troubled. Joseph’s reply to Pharaoh in Gen 41:16 also echoes Daniel’s in Dan 2:27–28. As with Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar will also come to acknowledge the mystery-revealing and spirit-calming power of God.
Genesis 41:8: And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:16: And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
As a result of the king’s disturbing dreams he called for the court wise men to interpret for him.
the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers Titles belonging to members of the priestly class who interpreted omens. They claimed to be able to predict the future and communicate with spirits for the sake of altering the course of future events.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
2. The Wise Men’s Difficultly (2:4-11)
2. The Wise Men’s Difficultly (2:4-11)
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
The text states, using Hebrew, that the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriack (Aramaic).
Although this is the actual language with which they spoke to the king, the words in Syriack also function as a literary marker.
At this point in the narrative, the language switches from Hebrew to Aramaic and continues in Aramaic until 7:28.
tell thy servants the dream The advisors expect that Nebuchadnezzar will follow standard procedure: He will describe his dream, and then they will confer together to arrive at an interpretation.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
the dream, with the interpretation thereof In making this command, the king intends to prevent the Chaldeans from deceiving him with a fictional interpretation. Only a person with legitimate divine contact could fulfill his demand.
ye shall be cut in pieces Dismemberment was threatened here as an extreme form of punishment to dissuade false testimony and fraud.
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
But if ye shew the dream “Blessing and cursing” and “promise and threat” are common themes throughout the literature of the ancient Near East, particularly in treaties.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
They answered again Indicates growing desperation.
Let the king tell his servants the dream The magicians and advisors desire a return to proper protocol; the king’s request was impossible.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
would gain the time Dumbfounded by the king’s request, the magicians and advisors stall to gain time to formulate an alternative plan.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
one decree for you A reference to death (see Dan 2:5)
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
lying and corrupt words Nebuchadnezzar’s experience was so vivid and troubling that he is reluctant to believe the Chaldeans. He does not want their omens and false interpretations; he desires a realistic and thorough evaluation of what he has seen.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
not a man upon the earth The magicians and advisors do not know that Daniel is able to meet Nebuchadnezzar’s demand. This phrase sets him in contrast with them.
no king, lord, nor ruler The magicians and advisors hope Nebuchadnezzar will change his mind if he realizes that no-one has asked for such a thing before
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
The wise men admitted that what the king wanted could only be obtained through the gods whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.
This is a confession that despite all their incantations, magic, and astrology, they were not capable of receiving supernatural revelation
3. The King’s Decree (2:12-13)
3. The King’s Decree (2:12-13)
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
the king was angry The magicians could not meet his demand. This typical response of kings in court tales often serves to illustrate the timeliness of God’s intervention (see Dan 3:13, 19; Esth 1:12; 7:7).
all the wise men of Babylon Furious that they could not retell and explain his dream, Nebuchadnezzar commands that the whole pagan priestly class be killed. Daniel and his friends are included in this group.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
they sought Daniel Although they were relatively new to the ranks of the Babylonian priesthood, Daniel and his friends were among those destined for destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. God, however, destined them for great things
4. Daniel’s Delay (2:14-16)
4. Daniel’s Delay (2:14-16)
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
with counsel and wisdom Daniel is presented as the ideal Jewish sage, a teacher of wisdom in the biblical period.
In the Jewish tradition, sages (or wise men) were typically measured against the example of Solomon, upon whom God bestowed great wisdom (see 1 Kgs 3:5–14).
Sages were skilled in communication and rhetoric, and their observations and moral teachings generally ran counter to the accepted norms of the day (e.g., Jesus’ command to love one’s enemies).
Their fields of expertise were generally broad and diverse, and they included everything from the holy writ of other traditions to the natural world (see 1 Kgs 4:33).
Amos and Jesus serve as two examples within Judaism of teachers and prophets who fit into this category.
In Daniel, these wise men not only have wisdom and knowledge, but they also knew how to behave in a foreign land and taught others how to do the same.
which was gone forth Arioch had not yet carried out his assignment (see Dan 2:24).
It’s important to notice here that Daniel had already gained respect among other leaders in the king’s court.
later Daniel speaks to Arioch in Dn 2:24:
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
hasty The Hebrew term here is translated as “harsh” based on the context.
Arioch made the thing known Daniel is apparently unaware of the king’s initial request.
It is unclear why he would have been excluded from the original audience of v. 2—perhaps the Babylonians (Chaldeans) considered him and his friends too young and inexperienced.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
went in, and desired See Dn 2:24 and note.
Daniel 2:24: ...bring me in before the king
This was the proper method for approaching the king.
In the ancient Near East, a person could not approach the king’s throne uninvited.
The details are not recorded, but Daniel may have violated protocol in v. 16.
If so, he was apparently granted leniency, perhaps due to his position in the king’s court.
The urgency of the matter demanded an immediate audience with the king; therefore Daniel risked his life to approach him.
If Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he could tell him his dream, the king would no doubt extend grace to him.
Up to this point, Daniel had not interpreted any dreams or visions.
Yet his faith in God was so great that he arranged to explain the interpretation to the king, confident that he would be given the supernatural ability to do so.
Unlike the other wise men, Daniel was not stalling and I believe he had favor with the king already because the king did not kill him on the spot.
5. Daniel’s Prayer and Praise (2:17-24)
5. Daniel’s Prayer and Praise (2:17-24)
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
After hearing of the king’s harsh edict, Daniel immediately enlists the prayer support of his three friends.
God is pleased to honor their request, and the mystery of the king’s dream is revealed to Daniel through a vision in the night.
Daniel prays and acknowledges God’s power, then approaches the king with confidence.
The king questions Daniel—but Daniel is quick to defer all glory to God.
made the thing known Apparently the four Hebrew youths were in close proximity to one another; they may have shared a dwelling place.
Daniel informs them of the king’s command so that the four of them might seek God’s mercy.
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
they would desire mercies of the God of heaven Not only is Daniel quick to give God the glory for the eventual outcome (see Dn 2:27–28), he also hurriedly seeks God’s help through prayer.
After asking his three friends to pray, Daniel sets an example by pleading with God
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
was the secret revealed A period of time elapses between Daniel’s initial request to appear before the king in Dn 2:16 and his audience in Dn 2:25.
Given the urgency of the king’s command, it may have been just one night.
This verse introduces the theme of God’s revelation, which continues throughout the text (see Dn 2:47 and note).
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets The two primary themes of Daniel
The God of heaven the title “God of heaven” is used 4 times in this chapter and nowhere else in the book.
This chapter uses this title to emphasize that only the God of heaven is omniscient and capable of revealing this mystery even as the pagan wise men recognized (2:10-11).
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
Moreover, Babylonians worshiped the luminaries but the God of Israel was over all of them, hence called the God of heaven.
The word mystery refers to a secret that can only be known by divine revelation.
In response to their prayers, the dream was revealed to Daniel.
20 Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever:
For wisdom and might are his:
For wisdom and might are his The wisdom that Daniel receives comes from God.
Daniel’s highlighting of this characteristic suggests that he identifies himself in the tradition of Jewish sages
Not only that but:
Col 2:3: ...are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
And to Christ has been given Matthew 28:18: all power... in heaven and in earth
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons:
He removeth kings, and setteth up kings:
He giveth wisdom unto the wise,
And knowledge to them that know understanding:
He removeth kings, and setteth up kings This is a prominent theme throughout the book: God is sovereign over all nations and their rulers.
This is one of the two primary themes of the book of Daniel (see Dn 2:47 and note).
The book was written to give hope and instruction to the exiles.
However, its court tales and visions also demonstrate God’s sovereignty over kings, kingdoms, and mysteries.
Beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, the author of Daniel demonstrates this point in the lives of foreign kings as well as God’s own people.
God alone gives kings power and makes their kingdoms great; He alone takes their thrones away and gives them to whomever He chooses.
Similarly, God allowed His people to be taken into exile (see Dn 1:2).
He will also lead them home at the appointed time (see Dn 9).
The success of Daniel and his three friends—despite being in captivity—communicates that God has not forgotten about His people; He will take care of them in a foreign land.
Understanding in Daniel 1:17 we see that to those who sincerely study, believe, and obey God’s Word and who are determined to stand for His truth in an ungodly society, God will provide the necessary wisdom and knowledge to accomplish the work He calls them to do.
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things:
He knoweth what is in the darkness,
And the light dwelleth with him.
revealeth the deep and secret things God as revealer is the second major theme of the book (see Dn 2:21, 47).
God’s revelatory work through Daniel distinguishes him from the other sages in Nebuchadnezzar’s service.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers,
Who hast given me wisdom and might,
And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee:
For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
O thou God of my fathers This praise of God and the virtue of wisdom identifies Daniel with the tradition of the Jewish sages.
Similar to refusing the king’s food in ch. 1, this phrase connects Daniel to the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and shows resistance to the Babylonian policy of religious pluralism and idol worship
The point of the first half of chap. 2 is that the God of Israel is greater in wisdom than the greatest of men, since He was able to reveal the king’s dream, with its sovereign plan for the nations, to His servant Daniel.
The God of heaven is vastly superior to all the great Babylonian Empire’s false gods, who were not able to reveal the king’s dream to all the wise men of Babylon
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
Remember, this is the proper method for approaching the king
With his knowledge from God, Daniel showed his compassion for his pagan colleagues, telling the executioner not to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He also told the king’s executioner that he would declare the interpretation, and by implication, the contents of the dream to the king.
6. Daniel’s Revelation and Interpretation Before the King (2:25-45)
6. Daniel’s Revelation and Interpretation Before the King (2:25-45)
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
Daniel agrees with the Babylonians’ (Chaldeans’) earlier statement.
Apart from God’s revelation, no man can interpret the dream.
But Daniel will demonstrate the superiority of his God over those of the other wise men—a recurring process throughout the book.
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
> 28 But there is a God in heaven
Daniel gives the credit to God, even before he addresses the king’s dream.
He recognizes that Nebuchadnezzar’s request is impossible, but God reveals the meaning of the dream to him through prayer.
> ...that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.
His statement that God has revealed what will take place in the latter days indicates that the king’s dream would find its complete fulfillment only in the end times.
> Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
With the court formalities out of the way, Daniel proceeds to tell the king his dream and its interpretation.
The king saw a massive statue, indicative of his kingdom and the future kingdoms of the world
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
The statue was massive and alarming in appearance.
It was composed of varying materials—from gold to clay—that represent a progressive decline in value.
The descending scale of value from gold to clay suggests that the degeneration of the human race throughout the ages is prevalent.
Each kingdom is built on the ruins of the one before.
This should strike a blow to the evolutionist, who has the image standing on its head, with everything getting better and better.
Does anyone really believe the world is getting better?
The metals—from gold to silver to bronze to iron—are deteriorating.
The specific gravity of gold is 19.3, silver is 10.5, bronze is 8.5, iron is 7.6, and clay is 1.9.
What a striking proof of what happens when everything human gets off the gold standard.
The power of the governments is represented by the statue.
Babylon was a monarchy, ruled with an iron hand by Nebuchadnezzar.
The Medes and Persians had an oligarchic form of government, which is government ruled by a few men.
The Grecian form of government was aristocratic, rule by the nobility.
Finally, Rome was an imperialistic government.
It was military and ruthless, like Nazi Germany.
In God’s mind, democracy is not His kind of government.
God’s government isn’t a democracy.
It’s a monarchy.
That monarchy, which He will set up someday, will be a theocracy, ruled by God alone.
The reason we have democracy is because we don’t have righteous-rule monarchy.
We need some kind of checks and balances, which is why our government is established as it is.
When the thirteen colonies were still a part of England, Scottish Professor Alexander Tytler wrote about the fall of the Athenian Republic over a thousand years before. He said:
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage
32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
The head represented the kingdom of Babylon
Breast and arms represented the Medo-Persian Empire
Belly and Thighs of brass (or bronze) represented the Greek Empire.
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Legs of iron represented the Roman Empire
The feet were mixed of iron and clay and represented a yet future continuation or revival of Rome
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
In the ancient Near East, harvesters would throw wheat into the air to remove its seed coverings.
The wind would carry off the debris while the good grain fell to the ground.
Not by hands: Job 34:20, Dan 8:25, Lam 4:6, 2 Cor 5.1, Heb 9:24, Zech 4:6
> and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
The plural “we”—instead of “I”—implies that Daniel’s three friends accompany him on this occasion
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
Daniel emphasizes God’s sovereignty over the nations
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Nebuchadnezzar—representative of the Babylonian Empire—is the head of the statue.
The fact that he is “gold” may indicate that subsequent kingdoms will be inferior until the kingdom of the Messiah is established
Babylon was also known for their abundance of gold
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
At his death, Alexander’s empire was divided among four of his generals.
Though they did not retain the full strength of his empire, Greece remained powerful and influential (particularly over the affairs of Palestine) for several years afterwards.
> but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
The material of each section of the statue decreases in value but increases in strength.
The decreased value may refer to the decline of morality or lessening political influence with each succeeding kingdom.
The increased strength of the metals refers to the harsher domination each successive kingdom would impose.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The fifth and final kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the kingdom God Himself will establish universally.
This is the great hope for Daniel’s readers.
> and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,
While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, Jerusalem and Judah were left for others to inhabit.
The kingdom of God would never be left desolate for others to occupy.
> but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
The events Daniel describes will happen in the manner revealed to him by God
Daniel also described a stone … cut out without hands, which smote the image (Dn 2:34).
It represents a final kingdom that would grow into a great mountain and fill the whole earth—this is the kingdom of God (2:35, cf. v. 44-45).
Critical scholars, primarily because of their denial of predictive prophecy, divide the four kingdoms into Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece (alleging that the book Daniel was written in 165 BC so it could not have foreseen the Roman Empire).
This interpretation is doubtful because of its historically inaccurate division of the Medo-Persian Empire into two separate empires, a division that is rejected even within the book of Daniel itself (cf. Dn 8:20 where the lopsided ram represents the unified Medo-Persian Empire).
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
A select few interpreters, while maintaining a sixth-century date for the book of Daniel, hold an alternative view that the four kingdoms are to be identified as the Assyrian, Median, Medo-Persian, and Greek Empires
This is certainly incorrect in that Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and founder of the Babylonian Empire, that he represents the first kingdom (thou art this head of gold) (Dn 2:38).
Moreover, to justify this alternative view, Assyria and Babylon must be combined into one empire.
But the book of Daniel ignores Assyria and treats Babylon as the first kingdom of the times of the Gentiles.
Most interpreters who accept the reality of predictive prophecy view the four kingdoms as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Rome is then conquered by the kingdom of God.
In seeing the fourth kingdom as Rome, these interpreters assert different opinions about the meaning of the stone.
Some view it as a spiritual kingdom, embodied in the Church, which gradually conquered the Roman Empire.
Others view it as a future, earthly kingdom, to be established when Messiah Jesus returns and institutes his physical rule that will fill the whole earth (Dn 2:35) and never be destroyed (Dn 2:44).
According to this view, the Roman Empire will continue to exist until the end of days.
According to some, the Roman Empire continues through its persistent influence in Western Civilization, existing until the end of days and the establishment of the kingdom of God.
The evidence that there will be a literal, earthly, end-of-days kingdom of God and not merely the Church spiritually overtaking human governments is,
that all the previous kingdoms depicted in the statue were earthly;
that there was no coalition of conquered kings or kingdoms as described in Dn 2:41-42 in the Roman Empire at the Messiah’s first advent as would be required if the Church were the kingdom;
that the stone, which represents the kingdom of God, destroys earthly kingdoms, yet the Lord Jesus did not do this at His first advent;
that the advent of the kingdom of God is described as a sudden overturn of earthly kingdoms, not the gradual transformation through the influence of the Church, and
that this vision is parallel to the four beasts described in chap. 7. All agree that in chap. 7 the kingdom arrives with the return of Jesus the Messiah—so should it be the same with the coming of the kingdom of God here in chap. 2
Daniel’s second chapter demonstrates that the God of Israel is greater than the greatest of men.
In Dn 2:1-24, it shows that He is greater in wisdom than all.
In the second half of the chapter (Dn 2:25-45) it emphasizes that the God of Israel is greater in power than all the great earthly kings and kingdoms.
In the end, God will establish His kingdom that will never be shaken
7. The King’s Response to the Dream and its Interpretation (2:46-49)
7. The King’s Response to the Dream and its Interpretation (2:46-49)
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
fell upon his No king would ever bow down and pay homage to a slave in the ancient Near East. This action would have shocked everyone present.
Nebuchadnezzar reacts in fear and wonder.
Daniel, through the power of God, performed the king’s impossible task.
Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction demonstrates the depth of mental anguish the vision caused him, as well as his amazement at Daniel’s interpretation
It further serves to illustrate that all the kings of the world must pay homage to the sovereign ruler of the universe.
worshipped Daniel The events described in Dn 2:46–49 may refer to the same events of Dn 1:18–20.
If so, this would help explain the sequence of events from the end of chapter one to chapter two.
The homage Nebuchadnezzar pays to Daniel—which should be read in light of Dn 2:47—is likely his way of honoring Daniel’s God.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets The two primary themes of Daniel
The ending note that the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon provides the setting for the events that will be described in the following chapter.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
the whole province of Babylon The Babylonian Empire was divided into administrative districts with governors set over them (similar to the satrapies of Darius; see Dn 6:1 and note).
Daniel was likely made a chief administrator of a region and placed over the council of the wise men.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego Reintroduces Daniel’s friends into the narrative. The book will focus on them in chapter three
Even as Daniel previously praised the God of heaven upon the revelation of the dream (Dn 2:20-23), so the king also responded to Daniel’s revelation of his dream with an outburst of praise to God (Dn 2:47).
Worship should be the response of any follower of the Messiah Jesus when encountering God’s supernatural revelation in His Word, the Bible.
Daniel expresses it well:
20 Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever:
For wisdom and might are his: